Chugger central
Velvet is based on Chiswick High Road, which on a weekday lunchtime often becomes Chugger Central. Many’s the time I’ve gone to pick up a sandwich, only to be approached by absurdly perky young men and women asking if I can spare a moment to talk about homelessness or cancer care or whatever.
Manchester was in the news recently for restricting street fundraising, and the BBC has analysed in depth the contradiction at the heart of the problem – most charities say it works, but most shoppers cannot abide being bothered.
Speaking for myself, I tend to fall into the latter category. I don’t think I’ve ever stopped to talk to a chugger and I expect I never will. However, if it really does work for charities than that’s fine; the main thing that bothers me, as you find all too often on the High Road, is when they stand practically next to each other and form a gauntlet for shoppers to run.
So, here’s some advice to any charities reading this: get your people to space themselves out more. What really annoys shoppers (well, me) is being asked to stop by a chugger who’s just seen you declining the same offer from one of their colleagues stood fifteen feet away. Is it really too much to ask for them to at least stand out of sight of each other?
And as an aside, the other day I was in the West End and I saw a young man in a Shelter jacket being asked to stop by a girl fundraising for another charity. A chugger chugging a chugger, no less.
Not to worry anyone, but I’m pretty sure that’s the first sign of the Apocalypse.
February 23, 2011 @ 6:14 pm
Well, I must say, I am one of the reasons they are there. I’ve signed up to at least three charities via chuggers, though they were chartites I had thought about giving to anyway.
For example: Amnesty. I watched the Secret Policeman’s ball and decided I wanted to support. The next time I was ‘chugged’ by Amnesty on the High Road, it felt more like an opportune piece of good fortune that actually saved me a little bit of effort.
In a previous life I used to write about fundraising occasionally and I came to think that charities are, in a a good way, the tightest-run ships when it comes to spending money to raise money. Every penny is accounted for with a payback that is worth it. I can’t believe that big name charities would spend money on chuggers if they didn’t deliver a pay back. Yes, they are annoying. But I think you might have to annoy and interrupt people slightly to get them to notice. I’d rather chuggers than the ‘We Buy Any Car’ advert – and what is that if not an annoying interruption to get you to pay attention?
Just my two cents worth (by monthly direct debit, of course).